It was the eve of the day of Terian's near-fateful accident. The knights
were gathered around the central table of the sole inn in the small town
that they had come across.
It was quite isolated, tucked away in the hills that were now becoming much more prominent. It's name was Woodsbend, named for the fine, dark trees that grew around a large, clear river that twisted its way through the hills in which it was cradled. The people didn't grow many crops, for the soil wasn't very fertile. They preferred to buy crops from nearby villages situated among better ground. No, what Woodsbenders did best was carve. Almost the whole population could carve beautiful wood, from spoons to bedsteads to chests. There was an intricate art not only to the carving itself, but also in getting and preparing the wood. Each family had its specialty, with tricks and secrets passed down from generation to generation. The innkeeper and his sons and daughters, for example, were famous for small, delicate work such as combs, jewelry boxes, and medallions.
But the companions gathered there could not pay much attention to the beauty of the woodcarvings or the awe of the people. They were deep in discussion.
"He's followed us all day-keeping out of sight well, for a place like this, but still, you could see him every once in a while if you looked back." Sir Michael's voice was grave.
"Aye, a grim, black figure on a black horse," Sir Jonathan agreed. "Doesn't look safe to me."
"Or me," Sir Bertram put in. "It's not right."
"Come now, fellows," Sir Luke objected, frowning slightly. "Surely a man that saved the prince twice isn't dangerous?"
"But you never know his objectives," Garram put in. "He could just be stalling for time."
"For what? What could he possibly want to do later that he could not have done yet?" This time it was Frenery who spoke, and Natal immediately backed him up.
"That's right. He could have done just about anything to any of us when we didn't know of him. How come he didn't?"
"Maybe he doesn't want to." The voice was soft, but it cut short speculations as they turned to stare at Terian. "Maybe he just wants to help us," the prince repeated.
"But why hide himself? Why not just be open and travel with us?" Sir Michael objected.
"It would be easier," Sir Jerrold said now, "to watch over someone who didn't know of you. And it would give you a safeguard against that person's enemies."
"He's right," Sir Zachary, the other horseman, put in.
The conversation was cut short, however, by the arrival of the food, and the topic wasn't brought up again until the morning.
^^^^^^^^^^
As they rode, Tayli trying to keep out of sight but knowing it was futile, the country had changed again. Towards the evening, t became much hillier all of a sudden, as if a great hand had scooped land away from the Bowl and pushed it up to form a steep ridge of mountains. Very few of the hills seemed to slope down, though they were not very steep yet. Every time they crested one of the great mounds, Tayli had been able to see, not so far away, mountains rise up until they touched the clouds and were wrapped in a dense mist. Trees now surrounded them on all sides, but the forest was different than the Bastien one-denser and darker, with huge towering trees that seemed to whip along in the wind. It was nature run truly wild, and Tayli reveled in it. She constantly saw small animals and birds that seemed to light up even the darkest forest with their gay singing.
However, there was a downside to the forest. It meant that she had to follow the pathway, and could no longer hide from the knights and her prince. Luckily they had found a small town with an inn to stay at soon after the landscape changed, and it had diverted their attention from her for a while.
Tayli had found, to her surprise, that the inn was on the outskirts of the village, at a little distance from the other houses. This provided an advantage for her as it allowed her more cover and less chance of being found. Settling down as out of sight as she could get, Tayli thought over her situation grimly. It was obvious that she could not hide herself any longer. She remembered Master Menlan's warning well, but what was she to do? She could not follow them and remain out of sight, and he had made it clear that she was to follow them and protect them at all costs. There was nothing else for it; she would have to remain in sight. She knew that they had seen her, and she knew that they knew that she was following them, but it unsettled her to follow them in plain view. Could she even trust these men? How did she know that they wouldn't try to lure her into a trap or outfight her? Surely they wouldn't let her follow them and not do a thing about it? Or would they?
The questions and doubts flew through Tayli's brain, but she knew that she had no choice. After all, they would not know her, only that someone was following them. Certain that the knights would guard carefully now that they were aware of the danger that inns posed, she lay down to rest next to Moonflight, who browsed sleepily nearby. She was soon as fast asleep as being a light sleeper would let her be.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In the morning the knights rode out with the grim certainty that if the dark man wanted to keep following them, he would have to do it in plain sight now. As soon as they had been on the road for a few minutes and cresting a hill, Luke turned around in his saddle. He was more than mildly surprised to see a black, billowing figure on a black steed that was still following their hoof prints. He had not been the only one that had had doubts about the likelihood of the continued pursuit of the man in black now that he was forced to follow the path. He shouted out to his companions, who turned as one to look where he pointed. A slight movement in the figure suggested that the watched was also watching them.
Luke watched the reactions of his companions with slight amusement (Luke could find a joke in anything), regardless of what his own had been. Sirs Bertram and Jonathan looked grim. They had never doubted the bad intent of the follower. Garram looked angry, and Frenery and Natal both seemed a little surprised, but cautious all the same. Terian seemed to observe it all with a coolness that woke the older man's admiration at the lad's level headedness. Sir Michael, who always knew what he was about, looked puzzled, and Sirs Jerrold and Zachary nodded at each other in a self-certain way. Both had been sure that the pursuer would continue pursuing.
But out off all these reactions, it was Willi's that worried him. He looked uncommonly grave and quiet. Willi, as Luke affectionately called him, had always been a light-hearted young man, Luke's favorite partner in a joke and best friend. But the assassin incident changed him. No, Luke thought, it came from before then-Willi had sensed something wrong even when they had found the sheltering cave on the first night. He was reserved now, and always had something on his mind, rarely laughed, and always had a pensive, cloudy look on his face. But what could he do? His friend was seeing the world for the first time, and there was nothing Luke could do about it.
It was quite isolated, tucked away in the hills that were now becoming much more prominent. It's name was Woodsbend, named for the fine, dark trees that grew around a large, clear river that twisted its way through the hills in which it was cradled. The people didn't grow many crops, for the soil wasn't very fertile. They preferred to buy crops from nearby villages situated among better ground. No, what Woodsbenders did best was carve. Almost the whole population could carve beautiful wood, from spoons to bedsteads to chests. There was an intricate art not only to the carving itself, but also in getting and preparing the wood. Each family had its specialty, with tricks and secrets passed down from generation to generation. The innkeeper and his sons and daughters, for example, were famous for small, delicate work such as combs, jewelry boxes, and medallions.
But the companions gathered there could not pay much attention to the beauty of the woodcarvings or the awe of the people. They were deep in discussion.
"He's followed us all day-keeping out of sight well, for a place like this, but still, you could see him every once in a while if you looked back." Sir Michael's voice was grave.
"Aye, a grim, black figure on a black horse," Sir Jonathan agreed. "Doesn't look safe to me."
"Or me," Sir Bertram put in. "It's not right."
"Come now, fellows," Sir Luke objected, frowning slightly. "Surely a man that saved the prince twice isn't dangerous?"
"But you never know his objectives," Garram put in. "He could just be stalling for time."
"For what? What could he possibly want to do later that he could not have done yet?" This time it was Frenery who spoke, and Natal immediately backed him up.
"That's right. He could have done just about anything to any of us when we didn't know of him. How come he didn't?"
"Maybe he doesn't want to." The voice was soft, but it cut short speculations as they turned to stare at Terian. "Maybe he just wants to help us," the prince repeated.
"But why hide himself? Why not just be open and travel with us?" Sir Michael objected.
"It would be easier," Sir Jerrold said now, "to watch over someone who didn't know of you. And it would give you a safeguard against that person's enemies."
"He's right," Sir Zachary, the other horseman, put in.
The conversation was cut short, however, by the arrival of the food, and the topic wasn't brought up again until the morning.
^^^^^^^^^^
As they rode, Tayli trying to keep out of sight but knowing it was futile, the country had changed again. Towards the evening, t became much hillier all of a sudden, as if a great hand had scooped land away from the Bowl and pushed it up to form a steep ridge of mountains. Very few of the hills seemed to slope down, though they were not very steep yet. Every time they crested one of the great mounds, Tayli had been able to see, not so far away, mountains rise up until they touched the clouds and were wrapped in a dense mist. Trees now surrounded them on all sides, but the forest was different than the Bastien one-denser and darker, with huge towering trees that seemed to whip along in the wind. It was nature run truly wild, and Tayli reveled in it. She constantly saw small animals and birds that seemed to light up even the darkest forest with their gay singing.
However, there was a downside to the forest. It meant that she had to follow the pathway, and could no longer hide from the knights and her prince. Luckily they had found a small town with an inn to stay at soon after the landscape changed, and it had diverted their attention from her for a while.
Tayli had found, to her surprise, that the inn was on the outskirts of the village, at a little distance from the other houses. This provided an advantage for her as it allowed her more cover and less chance of being found. Settling down as out of sight as she could get, Tayli thought over her situation grimly. It was obvious that she could not hide herself any longer. She remembered Master Menlan's warning well, but what was she to do? She could not follow them and remain out of sight, and he had made it clear that she was to follow them and protect them at all costs. There was nothing else for it; she would have to remain in sight. She knew that they had seen her, and she knew that they knew that she was following them, but it unsettled her to follow them in plain view. Could she even trust these men? How did she know that they wouldn't try to lure her into a trap or outfight her? Surely they wouldn't let her follow them and not do a thing about it? Or would they?
The questions and doubts flew through Tayli's brain, but she knew that she had no choice. After all, they would not know her, only that someone was following them. Certain that the knights would guard carefully now that they were aware of the danger that inns posed, she lay down to rest next to Moonflight, who browsed sleepily nearby. She was soon as fast asleep as being a light sleeper would let her be.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In the morning the knights rode out with the grim certainty that if the dark man wanted to keep following them, he would have to do it in plain sight now. As soon as they had been on the road for a few minutes and cresting a hill, Luke turned around in his saddle. He was more than mildly surprised to see a black, billowing figure on a black steed that was still following their hoof prints. He had not been the only one that had had doubts about the likelihood of the continued pursuit of the man in black now that he was forced to follow the path. He shouted out to his companions, who turned as one to look where he pointed. A slight movement in the figure suggested that the watched was also watching them.
Luke watched the reactions of his companions with slight amusement (Luke could find a joke in anything), regardless of what his own had been. Sirs Bertram and Jonathan looked grim. They had never doubted the bad intent of the follower. Garram looked angry, and Frenery and Natal both seemed a little surprised, but cautious all the same. Terian seemed to observe it all with a coolness that woke the older man's admiration at the lad's level headedness. Sir Michael, who always knew what he was about, looked puzzled, and Sirs Jerrold and Zachary nodded at each other in a self-certain way. Both had been sure that the pursuer would continue pursuing.
But out off all these reactions, it was Willi's that worried him. He looked uncommonly grave and quiet. Willi, as Luke affectionately called him, had always been a light-hearted young man, Luke's favorite partner in a joke and best friend. But the assassin incident changed him. No, Luke thought, it came from before then-Willi had sensed something wrong even when they had found the sheltering cave on the first night. He was reserved now, and always had something on his mind, rarely laughed, and always had a pensive, cloudy look on his face. But what could he do? His friend was seeing the world for the first time, and there was nothing Luke could do about it.